“Just listened to a replay of you and [David] Bruffy [General Manager, Mountain Line Transit Authority]…. Very nice jobs, both of you. Nice dance you did around Kay’s question about the traffic effects of the new school on the Mileground.” Austin’s reply: “Thanks, I learned to waltz from the best.”

Monongalia County School Board President Barbara Parsons:

“…personally resent[s] accusations that we, The Mon County Board of Education, manipulate and mislead the public.”

Then hold your superintendent and others accountable, President Parsons, and work to reverse the Board’s deplorable decisions in this matter. Or do the appropriate thing and resign.

Monongalia County Schools states on the SBA green school grant compliance checklist “Compliance With SBA Requirements Proposed New Project” under the section “Adequate Space For Projected Student Enrollment”:

“There is adequate space for enrollment projections. Once this facility [green school] is completed [Fall 2012], redistricting will occur in the North [Elementary] and Cheat Lake Elementary areas due to overcrowding.”

Publicly, the Monongalia County Board of Education has been denying such redistricting plans. Board President Barbara Parsons denied it again in a July email:

“As a Board, we have had no discussion, whatsoever, regarding any changes to North Elementary attendance area and the new school. I can see how it might appear to be a logical consideration, but the Board is extremely sensitive to any issue involving redistricting because we had these discussions prior to building a new University High School. At that time we said there would be no redistricting and we have vigorously maintained that position. … Any future consideration of redistricting will be at the initiative of the public.”

Once more with emphasis:

“…no redistricting and we have vigorously maintained that position … no discussion, whatsoever, regarding any changes to North Elementary attendance area and the new school. …we said there would be no redistricting and we have vigorously maintained that position. … Any future consideration of redistricting will be at the initiative of the public.“

President Parsons, you might want to pick up Mon Schools’ green school grant compliance checklist:

“Once this facility [green school] is completed [Fall 2012], redistricting will occur in the North and Cheat Lake Elementary areas due to overcrowding.”

In other words, the idea in the green school grant proposal is that North Elementary overflow students will go down route 705 to the new school when the green “facility is completed” just as the FOIAed emails outright state and otherwise indicate:

“Confidentially, the overflow from North will be placed in this [green] school.” [Mundell to Weese.] Devono “was originally looking [to build the green school] at the area” far down 705, directly toward North.

That, folks, is redistricting. It is redistricting with a thump, with a real “see ya later” wave to Woodburn area and Easton area. “See ya…. Wouldn’t want to be ya….”

What is kept from public eyes and ears is entirely consistent. And it completely contradicts what is stated to the public by the Board, the Board President, and by Superintendent Devono himself. In a July email to a questioning member of the public, Devono states:

“I am not recommending any attendance area from North being included into the new [green] school.”

Oh, really? And how again does that square with the grant compliance statement? and the FOIAed emails from WVU? and the Superintendent’s original preferred site rather near North (which has never once been publicly acknowledged)?

“Once this facility [green school] is completed [Fall 2012], redistricting will occur in the North and Cheat Lake Elementary areas due to overcrowding.”

“…we said there would be no redistricting and we have vigorously maintained that position. … Any future consideration of redistricting will be at the initiative of the public.“